Arctic Survival Blanket

Window installation by Sean Derry. Running March 6-April 1, 2012.
Medium: quilted second-hand clothing

The Arctic is grappling with the consequences of human actions performed around the world.
Snow and ice deflect much of the sun’s thermal energy. However, as snow melts the darker ground cover beneath absorbs more energy increasing the rate at which the surrounding snow dissolves. This positive feedback loop is called the albedo effect.
While residents of the north have always reworked found objects in response to their immediate needs, today the task is more demanding. By quilting together second-hand clothing to re-make snow, Arctic Survival Blanket investigates repair. Life in the north is not a story of triumphantly escaping into the wild but rather a process of adapting to the challenges at hand. This endeavor has the capacity to alter the landscape as much as us.